


Hands

by SweetAshori



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Affection, Budding Love, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/M, Fluff, Senhaku, Snow, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:27:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetAshori/pseuds/SweetAshori
Summary: Kohaku had a love-hate relationship with winter.
Relationships: Ishigami Senkuu & Kohaku, Ishigami Senkuu/Kohaku
Comments: 1
Kudos: 69





	Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Dr. STONE. I just own a heart that is in love with this series.
> 
> Authoress' Note: So... this is a quick piece inspired by one of 1chi_rei's amazing art pieces – which you can find here: https://twitter.com/1chi_rei/status/1284536503373197312 – and I hope that you will enjoy this little ficlet!

Kohaku had a love-hate relationship with winter.

The biting cold, the snow, how long it seems to last, the difficulty of the season upon the elderly and frail, the monotone color of the world around her... she hated it for showing how fragile humans really were. Even though she had always found ways to make it through the winters, she still highly disliked it. As a child, she'd wish – day after day – for the winter to end and bring back the warmth and color of spring, the season she most thrived and loved.

Yet, as she stood upon a snow-covered cliff, looking over the mountains that lined the horizon, a gentle shower of flakes coming down upon her, the faint twilight of the upcoming sunrise peaking amongst the stones, she couldn't help but be awed by the beauty before her. The snow covered the land in a soft, white blanket, only highlighted by the glow, the falling flakes in the distance looking more like twinkling stars dotting the landscape. Despite all of her issues with winter, she couldn't help herself but to be captivated by its wonder as well. Only in this colorless world this could exist, and every year, a little swell in her heart was grateful for it.

Sea-green eyes were lost, fading into a mixture of the scenery and her own thoughts, a puff of cold air occasionally leaving as she took slow and soft breaths, left arm bent upon her sheathed katana with the other at her side, ignoring the chill settling upon the bare parts of skin exposed to the winter's will. Her face held no signs of what exactly she was thinking or feeling in this moment, just as lost as her expression upon the white-capped mountains.

This winter... she thought she was going to hate it. She thought that this was going to be the worst of her life, fearing that before the spring could arrive, she would be here, cursing and crying and damning the winter and the gods and Mother Nature because the darkness of winter would take someone important from her – her beloved older sister, Ruri – and she would be here, hating winter forever, even if its awestruck beauty attempted to entice her back. However, fate seemed to had brought something good to this season of sleep, and that fear that had nagged her since the previous spring arrived melted away like ice, giving her reason to not fear or hate the season any more than she normally would.

Fate... for the briefest of moments, a curl came to her lips. No, that word was not right, she knew, but it was all she could think of in this time, as other words that come to mind didn't fit either. Fate, destiny, miracles... none of those worked.

Namely because Senku Ishigami didn't believe in such things. It was his unwavering belief in science that brought a bit of color to the dull, winter world... as well as a reason for her to find something lovely in this terrible season.

It was the end of spring when they had first met, face to face. She had seen him before, having watched his face-off with the mighty Tsukasa, but it was the moment when she was trapped beneath the trunk of a fallen tree – due in part to her own fight with said warrior – that they had met. This strange sorcerer, yelling at her to make the choice on how she wanted to be saved, his voice strained to show the desperateness of the predicament. He vowed that day to save her, but initially it was to free her from being pinned... he had no idea what he's truly saved her from.

That spring, she was faced with the impossible odds of trying to save her beloved sister from a frightening illness that had claimed many in their village. Despite the threat of expulsion from her village by her own father, she fought and fought against the odds, determined to rescue Ruri no matter what. Still, even with her best efforts, she knew that with the coming winter, Ruri's fate was almost certain. Until she met Senku.

Because of him, because of science, Ruri was saved. It was a long, confusing, scary, exhilarating effort, but what mattered most was the results. The day she watched Ruri take her first steps outside of the village after so long, to watch her run and frolic, was the happiest day of her life. And all of that was thanks to Senku, all of that thanks to that day he promised to save her. He saved her alright. Saved her from the despair, pain, and hatred that was building and knowing that, as soon as the first snowfall of winter came, it would come pouring out faster than a waterfall.

No matter what came now... she had nothing but gratitude and a belief in science, but most of all, she held those same feelings for Senku. Because of him, she could face the winter like this, and see more of its beauty instead of its painful chill. But now... now it's the spring she worries for.

With spring, soon shall come war. The war between The Kingdom of Science and The Tsukasa Empire. Between science and brute force. Between two ideals from the world before her, from the moments before the great petrification, and her village – the people she loves – were now about to face something they had no idea what it would bring. She worried for war. She trusted Senku and his promise to not allow for bloodshed, she trusted in the science, but still... it was war. It was fighting, battles, against unknown opponents and one of the strongest men she had ever come to known. When the spring came, when the fighting start... would she soon regret loving it? Would she crave for this cold, darkness, and gray, hating the warmth and vibrancy of new beginnings? Would she... would she be alive to even see the winter again?

Fingers clenched at her side, bringing her right arm up to her chest, fist above her heart, a harsh breath seethed from her teeth, the stress of that thought filling her with anxiety, before she shut her eyes, sighing and calming herself, her arm falling back to her side again with a lazy limp, gaze returning to the horizon. Those thoughts had been coming more and more lately, the further they got along in the process of creating the cell phone. It was a progression towards what was coming, and it was as inevitable as the snow falling right now. War was on the horizon, coming in fiery like the sunrise, and soon she will face the fight. For her people, for her village, for the Kingdom of Science... for Senku. And she would fight. With every breath in her body, every inch of her form, she would take up her sword and fight. For him, for them, for her... no matter what, she would fight.

“What has you up this early, lioness?”

That voice hit her ears with a soft, sarcastic echo and she scoffed, lips curled into a knowing smirk, “I could ask you the same thing, Senku.”

The crunch of snow became louder and louder until it stopped beside her, feeling the weight of his presence without a need to visualize and confirm that he was there. For the longest of moments, they stood there, side by side, watching as the twilight slowly and steadily grew brighter. It was like this often for them, she had noted. There wasn't always a need for words between them. They could just be, and it was enough. Why was that? What was it about him that allowed for silence to feel comfortable? She didn't know the answer to that. Just like science, he was a mystery to her. A wonderful, powerful, strange, exciting mystery. One that, if she could be honest with herself, she was looking forward to try and figure out, more and more as time went on.

“... So what brought you out here so early? Couldn't sleep?” he asked, his tone about as gentle as the snow shower.

“Something like that,” she replied, “What about you? The same?”

“Something like that.”

She scoffed again; typical Senku. A small tilt of her head, a sigh, a frosty puff of fog covering her vision for less than a second. Scarlet eyes turned towards her, only briefly, right hand upon his hip with thumb wrapped between the coat and belt, the other by his side. They were like mirrored images in stance, something that – if someone had seen them standing here – would likely find amusing. But there was no audience to this moment. It was only them, standing in quiet again, the magic of winter grasping its hold around them.

“You've seem to have something on your mind more nowadays,” he continued.

“Oh?” she answered, her tone a slight octave higher than normal.

A momentary glance to one another, crimson meeting ocean, turning away just as fast.

“I suppose that I have,” she muttered, knowing that, even if she wanted to, she couldn't hide herself from him; he always had his way, the crafty sorcerer, in getting to the root of any problem.

He didn't say a word at first, contemplating, analyzing. A sigh, a reflex of his fingers against his hip. “... The war, huh?”

She didn't respond, but he didn't need her to. Her silence spoke volumes more than what words could. Her eyes went glossy again, distant, but she was conscious to him.

“I can't blame you, for whatever you're feeling. This isn't going to be like the Grand Bout. It wouldn't be surprising if you're scared--”

“Scared isn't it.”

A moment of confusion and surprise flickered across the red, dilating a fraction, mouth falling open slightly. Thin fingers flinched against the hilt of the katana, another puff of air escaping pale pink lips. “I'm not scared. Worried, yes. But not scared. I can't be scared,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, “I'm a warrior. A protector. I can't make a mistake because I give in to fear. Not when I have so much to protect.”

The snow crunched beneath the stone heel of her footwear, her body turning to finally face her companion. His body reflected hers, gazes meeting. Crimson meeting ocean. Surprise meeting determination. Agape meeting a twisted smile. Something stuck in Senku's throat that he didn't realize was there.

Her right arm moved, fingers gently motioning for his left arm to move in tandem, hands raising and extending. Their gazes fell upon them, her palm aligning herself along his. His brow furrowed; how had he not noticed how small her hands were before now? Her small, yet fierce hands... hands that could wield a blade even against a more skillful opponent, hands that had the power to pummel anyone that dared to insult her into submission, but yet they rest so carefully and gently against his own, her cold skin feeling soft against his calloused palm.

Eyes lifted upward, towards hers, and that lump in his throat nearly choke him. Her eyes had turned towards him as well, just like a mirrored image, but what he was seeing was... it was haunting. Never had he seen such a look upon her face. Those eyes... they were sparkling as if the stars themselves were alight in her orbs, lids slightly fallen, framing those irises with delicate lashes, her smile as forthright and calming as the ocean that was threatening to swallow him up whole. She was... he couldn't even find the words. When was the last time he was left this speechless?

That lump in his throat turned out to be a breath that he didn't realize he was holding. “Kohaku...” he whispered, almost shaking.

A small laugh emitted from her throat, her head falling to her right side, blonde bangs sliding in front of her face, and once again, Senku didn't have a word he could say. When did she learn to leave him this speechless?

Her hand never leaving his, only lowering a bit with her fingers curling up against his palm only a fraction, her gaze turned back towards the mountains. “It's beautiful out here, isn't it?” she asked, the tone of her voice striking him with an elegant sounds that brought an extra thump-thump to his chest.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her for the longest time, stunned heavily into the silence... what could he even say to her now? He had been thrown completely off his guard by her words, by her expression, by her... She was... Kohaku was...

His fingers slowly, carefully, shakily threaded themselves within hers, their arms falling to their sides, palms turning to rest more comfortably within one another, his gaze lingering only for another moment before turning back towards the emerging twilight and fading night.

“Yeah... it is.”

_**-end-** _


End file.
